Perhaps the biggest event that occurred during my eight years at the Little House was the birth of a younger brother. Like my older brother, Wade, and me, Forrest Chandler Segrest, Jr. was actually delivered in the Little House. He arrived on August 3, 1946, when I was four years old. Again, Dr. Malcolm Lightfoot came to the Little House for the delivery. We had no vehicle, but Granddaddy Mote’s car was at the house. I’m sure that one reason it was there to enable Daddy to reach the Dr. But it also helped with other things. Wade was parceled out to Aunt Runie’s house to visit with cousins Montez and Zenoma who were a little older than he was.
The plan was for me to stay with Grandma Segrest over at Uncle Earl’s house, but I was a bit of a Mama’s boy and would have none of that. So, I wound up sitting in Granddaddy’s automobile at the Little House! I was pretty high strung as a small child. Very shy, very sensitive, and not very sociable. I actually remember standing by the water bucket for a drink of water, and insisting that Mama had to dip it: nobody else could dip it for me! I don’t remember whether anyone was with me in Grandaddy’s car during the delivery. Daddy may have had to stay with me.
In those days of home deliveries, usually a woman assisted the Doctor. I think that when Wade was born, in 1938, Mama’s sister, Aunt Sue, who was trained as a nurse was there to assist. Aunt Runie, the wife of Daddy’s brother Marvin (Uncle Bud) assisted with my delivery in 1942. Our neighbor, Ms. Jo. Pierce was there to assist with Chan’s delivery.
Another important event occurred in 1946. We got electricity, and a refrigerator. The refrigerator replaced the ice box. Chan’s milk bottle’s could stay in the refrigerator. The electricity was furnished by the utility company of the City of Tuskegee. Frank Carr, who actually owned a large farm just up the road from the Little House was mayor of the City of Tuskegee, and he was actively involved in marketing the utility services to our community.
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